The Hockomock League has long branded itself as one of the premier football leagues in the state.

Friday night, the Hock had the receipts to back that claim.

Mansfield and North Attleboro punched their tickets to an all-Hockomock League Div. 3 state final with wins over Walpole (42-28) and previously undefeated Reading (42-20), respectively. King Philip returned to the Div. 2 final with a 34-15 win over Marshfield, while Foxboro rallied to beat Hanover 14-7 in a Div. 5 state semifinal.

Getting four teams from the same league in a state championship game is impressive enough. Canton nearly knocked off Duxbury in a Div. 4 quarterfinal, while Milford gave Reading all it could handle in a Div. 3 quarterfinal contest.

“I think the one thing that stands in our league this year is that everyone seems to have really good senior leadership,” said North Attleboro coach Mike Strachan. “I look at our team and we’ve gotten great leadership from our captains, Ryan Bannon, Chase Frisoli, Patrick Hamilton, Lucas Crovo and Brady Paradis.

“The league was very tough this year. We stubbed our toe against Canton and Foxboro and it made us realize you better be ready to play every game. It’s hard to get (to the finals), there were some trials and tribulations, but I’m happy for our kids and the other teams in our league who got here.”

Mansfield coach Mike Redding has seen the league put out some powerhouse teams in his 35-plus years at the helm. He is grateful that the new statewide playoff system provides leagues like the Hockomock more of an opportunity to strut their stuff in the postseason.

“I go back to 1990 when Canton, Foxboro and North Attleboro were three of the best teams in the state. They beat each other up but because of the old (playoff) system, only one would go,” said Redding, who will be gunning for his 300th win on Thanksgiving against Foxboro. “The new system is better for our league as we now have 8-9 quality teams capable of qualifying.

“The league is really tough right now. The coaches are so good that nothing comes easy. The kids work hard, you don’t take anything for granted and we wind up being better prepared for the playoffs.”

The poster child for football excellence in the Hockomock League these days is King Philip. The Warriors qualified for their seventh state championship game since 2016 and currently owns the state’s longest winning streak at 24.

“I’ve always thought playing in the Hockomock League prepares us for the postseason,” said head coach Brian Lee, who has gone 87-15 since 2016. “If you can survive in this league, you know you are going to be ready for the tournament because most of the teams there haven’t gone through what we have been through.

“Look at this year and the teams in our league. Mansfield is always consistent, North Attleboro and Foxboro have been good. Canton battled and almost beat Duxbury and Milford nearly beat Reading. Top to bottom, the competition is very good.”

SWEET 16

1. Catholic Memorial (10-1): Not sure I wanted to be around when coach DiBiaso gave his version of the early-game “inspirational” speech.

2. King Philip (11-0): Can’t wait for the classic No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup between King Philip and Catholic Memorial for the Division 2 title.

3. Needham (11-0): Hope no one is calling Needham a Cinderella story. This is a damned good football team that has proved their worth over two seasons.

4. Xaverian (8-3): Once again, injuries forced the Hawks into the next man up philosophy and the younger guys responded.

5. St. John’s Prep (9-2): Rest assured, the Eagles will be more than ready for Xaverian on Thanksgiving.

6. BC High (8-2): Much like their Catholic Conference brethren from Danvers, BC High will be looking to end their season on a high note on Turkey Day against Catholic Memorial.

7. Scituate (11-0): The defense was there once again against Grafton in the Div. 4 semifinals.

8. Marshfield (9-2): Rams battled but King Philip is simply too good these days.

9. Natick (8-2): A win over Framingham on Thanksgiving would give Natick a solid 9-2 season.

10. Duxbury (10-1): This might not be the most talented Dragons team, but they are second to none when it comes to getting the most out of their ability.

11. Fairhaven (10-1): What a career Justin Marques has put together and he’s not done yet.

12. Shawsheen (11-0): Big Al’s boys can certainly get after it on the defensive side of the ball.

13. Foxboro (8-3): It wasn’t easy, but the Warriors came up big at the end to earn the right to defend their Div. 5 state title.

14. North Attleboro (9-2): Red Rocketeers might have stubbed their toes twice during the regular season, but they are saving their best for last.

15. Mansfield (8-3): What a week for Mike Redding. His team gets to the state championship and he picked up win No. 299 in the process.

16. Central Catholic (6-4): Don’t be surprised to see the Raiders in the mix of things in Div. 1 next year.